# Inappropriate Smiles On News Broadcasts **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 22, 2004, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inappropriate-smiles-on-news-broadcasts/230488 "2004-02-22T08:20:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inappropriate-smiles-on-news-broadcasts/230488/1 "2004-02-22T08:20:52Z")
Has anyone ever noticed this phenomenon? Interviewer: So, Mary, you are the President of the Women’s Cancer Foundation? Mary: (smiles) Yes I am. Interviewer: And it is a serious problem, isn’t it. Mary: (smiles)Yes. Every two minutes, a woman dies of cancer. (smiles again) Interviewer: That’s horrible! Mary: (smiles) It sure is. What is with these people? I know the rule of thumb is to “smile” on camera, but isn’t there a point where, to say the least, a smile is perhaps not appropriate? ---
**Author:** ![Cargogal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/48db29/32.png) [@Cargogal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cargogal)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inappropriate-smiles-on-news-broadcasts/230488/2 "2004-02-22T08:27:44Z")
We got the bubble-headed bleach blonde comes on at five She can tell you 'bout the plane crash with a gleam in her eye It’s int’resting when people die Give us dirty laundry TV is crap. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_B.Phart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Capt\_B.Phart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_B.Phart)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inappropriate-smiles-on-news-broadcasts/230488/3 "2004-02-22T17:06:40Z")
It can be a big problem with footage from crisis-areas:- trying to find a bit where the refugee children aren’t smiling and waving at the camera to put in a report. It’s not that they aren’t suffering, but the appearance of a camera-crew is a welcome distraction to them at that moment. ---
**Author:** ![Baraqiyal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@Baraqiyal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baraqiyal)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inappropriate-smiles-on-news-broadcasts/230488/4 "2004-02-22T21:43:19Z")
About a year ago, a local sports news broadcast showed a video of a young girl at a hockey game with her hand on her face, moments after being smashed in the face with a puck. “The girl later died” he added. This was immediately followed by the sports guy making a joke about some other story and all the other newscasters laughing along. It just didn’t seem right to show the girl in obvious pain, suffering an injury that she would die from, followed by the newscasters laughing and joking. I’ve wondered if I’m the only viewer who was semi-horrified by it. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inappropriate-smiles-on-news-broadcasts/230488/5 "2004-02-22T21:50:35Z")
I’ve often wondered if the News Announcers (I won’t call those imbecelic baritones journalists) are all junkies. Or if the stations use Voudou Hougans to draw out their souls, & turn them into Zuvumbie Newscasters. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2004, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inappropriate-smiles-on-news-broadcasts/230488/6 "2004-02-22T22:16:50Z")
_Why don’t the newscasters cry when they read about people who die? At least they could be decent enough to put just a tear in their eyes Mama said It’s just make believe You can’t believe everything you see So baby close your eyes to the lullabies On the news tonight…_ -Jack Johnson, _The News_